


flicker

by orphan_account



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Western, Arguing, Bonding, Drinking to Cope, Drunken Confessions, Fighting, Hate to Love, LMAO, M/M, Olden Times, On the Run, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Running Away, SO, Sad Backstories, Sexual Tension, Tension, cowboy mccree, criminal jesse mccree, detective hanzo shimada, doubles as a bounty hunter, im tired and cant think of any more tags rn, like 1900, murder of minor characters thanks to one specific criminal cowboy, reluctant bonding more like, slight slow burn, snarky jesse mccree, theyre on the run together at one point
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-02
Updated: 2018-03-21
Packaged: 2019-03-12 15:50:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 18,597
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13550571
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: “As of now, the bounty above his head is well into the thousands. Posts have been made all over the country, just to be safe. We should get any reports on sightings, of which I'll relay to you. Because of your extensive success and skillset, I have no doubt that you'll find him. I wish you luck, and you do your best to get that man here, no matter the cost.”***Hanzo Shimada, one of the best detectives Los Angeles has seen, is tasked with tracking down infamous criminal Jesse McCree.The only problem is that Jesse McCree is not going to go easy.He prefers doing things the hard way.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> howdy! thanks for stopping by and taking a gander at my work.  
> i hope you enjoy what i've come up with! i swear there's more to this than what i've put in the tags, so thanks so much for being interested enough to read this  
> have a long first chapter to start off with!  
> thanks!

TEXAS, 1910

 

  Jesse McCree stood over the man before him, his booted foot pressed painfully into his chest, a pistol pointed right at his head, right between his eyes. He gives him a sinister little smile before pulling the hammer back, cocking the gun. The man- he'd identified himself earlier as Roy Edwards -whimpers, shutting his eyes tightly.

  “Oh dear Jesus, man- God, you don't have to do this!” He tries to plead, but Jesse just laughs out loud, tipping his hat with his free hand.

  “Oh, come on, pal, you really believe that? You must be stupider than you look.” He leans down and presses the barrel of the gun against Roy’s sweaty forehead. Jesse’s own hair was getting in the way of his vision, but he didn't exactly want it to look like he was anything but tough by brushing his hair out of his face. He was bad ass, he had an image to maintain.

  Roy lets out a little yelp when he feels the cool metal against his skin. “Fuck! I swear I didn't- I didn't cheat anyone, McCree, just get off me!”

  Jesse leans back, feigning shock. “Oh? That's not what the card up your sleeve said, you filthy rat.” He jabs the gun into his head again. “Give me one good reason why I shouldn't kill your dumb ass, Edwards.”

  “Oh God- I-I have a family. A wife, a-and two little boys. Please don't-” Roy is cut off by a shaky breath, and Jesse just scoffs.

  “You're no man. Guess those little boys ‘a yours will have to live without a daddy, huh?” He asks, and Roy just starts hyperventilating. Annoyed, Jesse leans away, standing up, keeping his foot pressed into his chest.

   _Gonna have to clean my boots_ , Jesse thinks to himself as he pulls the trigger.

 

* * *

 

 

  It wasn't that Jesse necessarily liked killing people… there was just something in his brain that said, “Hey, buddy, this is an appropriate response to a minor inconvenience”. He never killed anyone he didn't think deserved it. He'd never just walk up to someone and shoot them in the face, that wasn't Jesse. No, Jesse McCree just did what he thought was right. Of course, others wouldn't really agree with him.

  “You're on thin ice here, Jesse,” Jesse’s closest friend and father figure, Gabriel, mutters quietly as he paces around the small storage room behind his hotel that served as a hiding place for Jesse. “You shot that man in broad daylight.

  Jesse rolls his eyes. “It’s not like anyone was around!” He protests, tsking. “You're such a tight ass, pal. He deserved it.”

 Gabriel gives him an incredulous look as he stands in front of him, crossing his arms. “I'm trying to help you,” He reminds him, leaning in a bit closer. “And,” He continues, holding up a finger very matter-of-factly, “Cheating in a card game does _not_ constitute murder.”

  “Oh, whatever, you don't get it,” Jesse mutters, huffing a bit as he crosses his arms. “I never get why you help anyways. You could get arrested ‘cause ‘a me.”

  “We've been over this,” Gabriel sighs, running a hand through his hair. “You're like a son to me. And even though you do really terrible things-”

  “I'm still a good person on the inside. That right, Gabe? I get it right that time?” He smirks, tipping his hat a bit. Gabriel scowls at that.

  “If I didn't know you for as long as I have I’d let you swing, you know that?” He sits next to Jesse on the bed.

  “Ain't that sweet,” Jesse murmurs as he rests his head on Gabriel's shoulder. Gabriel just sighs, putting his arm around him.

  “Shut up. You know you're gonna have to leave again, they're gonna be on a manhunt once they realize it was you who did it,” Gabriel mentions, and Jesse sighs and nods.

  “Mhm,” He hums. He removes himself from Gabriel before standing up and stretching. “Guess I better get a move on then. I'll be back in a week or two, give or take.” He gives him a little salute. “Adios.”

  


-LOS ANGELES-

 

  “Everyone had been running after this guy for years. Somehow he's eluded every single man of authority, always on the damn run, never getting caught. Jesse McCree is a notorious killer, and he has got to be stopped. His home is in Texas, where he's committed the majority of his crimes. Most recently, he's killed a school teacher by the name of Roy Edwards. From what our partners in Texas have told us, he's been going around for the past two years or so. It's our belief that he's still there, and if we make it fast enough, we could apprehend him, and rid our country of such a pest. Once caught, he'll have to be brought back into our state’s jurisdiction so we can deal with him properly, as his first and most heinous crime was indeed committed here.”

  The head of the police department in Los Angeles spoke to bounty hunter-turned-detective Hanzo Shimada, who had taken on the case of Jesse McCree, who was a legend, a tall tale, and a mystery all at the same time. Some people didn't think he really existed with how elusive he was, and some people used him to tell scary stories to their children to keep them on the straight and narrow. And some have sworn they've seen him with their own two eyes before he disappeared. Some have even claimed to sleep with him. Yes, indeed, Jesse McCree was a man of mystery. It was a miracle how he always managed to slip past any authority, much to the infuriation of those trying to get him off the streets.

  “As of now, the bounty above his head is well into the thousands. Posts have been made all over the country, just to be safe. We should get any report on sightings, of which I'll relay to you. Because of your extensive success and skillset, I have no doubt that you'll find him. I wish you luck, and you do your best to get that man here, no matter the cost.”

  Hanzo Shimada leaves the police headquarters feeling oddly discouraged. He's never been caught, and it was  _his_ job to do what everyone else couldn't? Jesus, this guy was going to be a challenge. Hanzo starts walking home, needing to prepare for his trip. He had no doubt this would be long and tiring, and wanted to be truly ready for whatever might be thrown his way.

  He was no stranger to Jesse. They'd gotten in a scrap once, when Hanzo was a new officer in LA who had tried to escort him from a saloon after he'd gotten too drunk. Jesse had responded by trying to kick his ass. Since he was beyond drunk, Hanzo was certain Jesse wouldn't recognize him now, if he did happen to catch him. In addition, it had been well over a decade since they'd seen each other, years before his little crime spree started. All Hanzo wanted to do now was wipe him off the face of the Earth. He couldn't keep going, hurting and killing innocent people. It burned Hanzo up to know this was happening, and he was going to put a stop to it.

  After packing his essentials into a bag, his gun at his hip, and his favorite knives in sheaths at his thighs, he was ready to take this head on. After a quick meeting with the head of police, he learns that the last sighting of Jesse was about two weeks ago. While Hanzo was concerned with the date being a bit far back, he was sure Jesse wouldn't have gone far. If he stayed in the general area, he'd be easy to find.

  He arrives at the train station that morning, ready to make the long trip to Texas. He pulls his hair up in a bun and sighs as he steps onto the train. This was going to be an exhausting trip.

 

-TEXAS-

 

  After an uncountable amount of hours, Hanzo makes the walk to the nearest hotel, absolutely exhausted. He had to get directions from a few locals, but it didn't take long, so he was pretty relieved, especially when he walks inside. His whole body thanked him for finding a place of rest.

  “Just a room for a few nights, then I'll be out of here. I have to keep moving is all,” Hanzo explains to the hotel owner once he gets to the front desk, looking exhausted. The trip had certainly taken its toll on him, and he really just wanted to get some rest for now.

  The hotel owner- a man named Gabriel, by the nameplate pinned on his shirt -nods and takes out the guest book. “Alright, sir, can I get your name?” He asks, giving him a little smile.

  “Ah, Detective Hanzo Shimada, sir,” Hanzo tells him, leaning on the desk and biting his lip, eager to get to bed. Gabriel pauses for a moment, an eyebrow raised at the name.

  “Hanzo Shimada,” He repeats, looking down and writing his name in the book, sighing quietly. The fact he was a detective puts him on edge. He must be here for Jesse. Hanzo notices the man seems to be thinking a bit, as if trying to place his name. While this unnerves him just a little bit and puts him on edge, he decides to ignore it and brush it off as paranoia induced by lack of sleep. “Four nights alright with you, Detective Shimada?” He asks, and Hanzo nods, running a hand through his hair.

  “Yes, that sounds perfect, sir. Thank you,” Hanzo says as the man turns to get him a key, which he hands over to Hanzo, who smiles graciously and takes it. The man nods and lets Hanzo gather his things and head upstairs to rest.

  Once in his room, Hanzo sets his things down by the door, locks the door, gets his boots off, gets his weapons off his person, shrugs off his coat, and gets right to bed, being sure to keep his gun underneath his pillow just in case. He sighs happily and curls up a bit. The train was definitely not optimal for sleeping, which meant Hanzo didn't get an ounce of sleep for the entirety of the trip, unfortunately. He figures some sleep will be good for him, so he'll be ready for whatever the next few days of his investigation may bring. He's asleep almost instantly.

 

* * *

 

 

  “McCree!” Gabriel hurries out the back door, to a storage room just a few feet away. “Jesus- Jesse, where the hell are you?” He looks around, looks around the back of the building. Not finding him there, he sighs and decides to head inside, going and unlocking the door with his spare key. If he wasn't out here- “Oh dear Christ.”

  Jesse looks up from where he lies on the bed, some woman positioned nice and perky on his lap, the skirt of her dress hiked up around her waist, her long hair draped down her back, with a long lock wrapped around Jesse’s hand. He smiles sheepishly. “Aw, hey there Gabriel. Wasn't expectin’ to see you today. Kinda busy though, can you wait?” The woman looks at Jesse, then at Gabriel. She smiles a little.

  Gabriel glances at the woman, sighing. “Really? This is important, Jesse, she needs to leave.” He puts his hands on his hips, seeming impatient. Jesse groans.

  “Seriously? I didn't even-”

  “God damnit, McCree, your life's on the line here!” Gabriel snaps angrily, throwing his arms up, exasperated. Jesse just sighs and has the woman get up so they can fix themselves. Jesse slips a couple of bills into her garter belt before she pulls her skirt down, and she smiles and pats Jesse's head before walking out, leaving the two men alone.

  Jesse looks up at Gabriel and pulls out a cigarette, grabbing his matchbook as he sits back down on his bed. “Alright, bud, what's up?” He puts the cigarette between his lips.

  Gabriel sighs angrily. “Does the name Hanzo Shimada ring a bell to you?” He asks, crossing his arms and looking at Jesse. Jesse goes completely still, his lit match just a centimeter away from lighting his cigarette. Jesse looks at him, an eyebrow raised.

  “Hanzo Shimada…” He repeats through partially closed lips, eyes rolling to the ceiling as he thinks. “Mhm, yeah, sure, buddy, why?” He asks after taking the cigarette from his mouth.

  “Are you serious?” Gabriel asks in disbelief, eyes wide. “He's one of the most-”

  “Hey, I know exactly who he is, alright?” Jesse stops him. “I knew him, long time ago, he's arrested me before. That bastard ain't gettin’ a hold of me again, trust me. Hell, if the local fuckin’ sheriff hasn't caught me right here in your damn back yard, there's no way he's gonna catch on.”

  “You're not as slick as you think, McCree, you're the luckiest man alive to have slipped by after your last stunt, which, might I add, was shitty of you. The guy had _kids_ for God's sake.”

  Jesse scoffs. “And _I_ had a winnin’ hand before he pulled that cheatin’ shit. His own fault,” He mutters before finally lighting his cigarette.

  “You're an ass, Jesse.”

  “And?”

  “I could turn you over to Shimada at any moment now that he's here. In fact, I have half a mind to go up there right now and tell him I have you.”

  “Mm, you know why you won't do that?” Jesse asks him, smirking as he takes a drag and exhales the smoke. Gabriel looks confused, and he shrugs, shaking his head. “Because you'd be in trouble for harboring a fugitive. So, you're not saying anything.”

  “Alright, fine, if that's the thanks I get for keeping you safe for all this time-”

  “I never asked you to,” Jesse reminds him with a smile, and Gabriel rolls his eyes.

  “The point is, damnit, that you're in deep shit if you don't keep your head low until Shimada skips town. A hanging is right around the corner if you aren't careful. I'll do everything I can to throw him off your tail, but-”

  Jesse holds up his hands, stopping him right there. “Alright, Gabriel, not that I don't ‘preciate it plenty, but really, why the hell are you doin’ this for me? I mean, I've been doing a damn good job of keeping my coast clear myself.”

  Gabriel sighs and shakes his head a bit. “I took you in off the streets when we were in Los Angeles, Jesse, I even bailed you out of jail when you first got arrested. I didn't expect that you'd become like a son to me. I don't know, I guess I feel partially responsible for all this shit you do because I didn't try hard enough to keep you on the straight and narrow. And maybe it's selfish of me, but I don't wanna go down for this. I'm protecting you because I love you, kid. But I'm protecting you to protect myself, too,” He explains, his voice a bit soft. Jesse goes quiet, sort of taking this in.

  “Ah, yeah, I get it.” He gently pats Gabriel's back. “I get it. Hey, I don't blame you for not wantin’ to get into trouble. I woulda done the same thing. I know I shit on you for it but thanks for doin’ this, Gabe.”

  Gabriel smiles a bit, nodding. “No pr-”

  “But that ain't gonna stop me!” He says with a laugh and a grin.

  Gabriel sighs angrily. “You piss me off, you know that, Jesse?” He crosses his arms, rolling his eyes as he sits next to Jesse on his bed. “We have to be serious about this situation now, okay? We’ve had our little heartfelt moment, but we need to talk about this.”

  Jesse just nudges him, grinning. “Yes,” He says cheerfully. “But, alright, you're right, I've gotta be serious about this.” He puts out his cigarette, lights another. “Let's see…”

  Pleased with Jesse's turn of attitude, Gabriel relaxes and listens to Jesse.

  “Hanzo Shimada, huh? Mm. Don't remember much about him, been a good…” He hums quietly, thinking. “I'd say twelve, thirteen years I think… regardless, I know he looks for guys like me for a living now. And I know that I'm not a good guy, and I'll probably end up dying if he catches me.”

  Gabriel nods calmly, and Jesse nods with him.

  “I'll do my best to keep myself in the clear,” Jesse assures him with a tip of his hat. It's quiet for a moment before Gabriel suddenly sighs, exasperated.

  “Wait a second, did that woman know who you were, Jesse?” He asks, pointing in the direction she went. He knew Jesse was desperate for some sort of release- the man never went a night without jacking off, for God's sake -but a prostitute? Jesse looks at him, suddenly looking a bit unsure, taking another drag, letting the smoke slowly billow out of his slightly parted lips before he finally answers.

  “Mm… Not sure. Don't think so. But there ain't no way she's tellin’ anybody if she does,” He says with a dismissive wave of his hand. “She's a prostitute, and, mind you, cops don't think too fondly a’ them either.” He grins and wags his finger at Gabriel, smug.

  Gabriel rolls his eyes. “You're too much, McCree, I swear. Just stay here, alright? No more venturing out, no more women, just stay put.” He smiles, hoping he gets his point across. Jesse just shrugs and lies back in bed, finishing off his cigarette. Gabriel pats his leg and stands up, walking out.

  This was going to be...interesting. Gabriel could already tell.

 

* * *

 

 

  Hanzo doesn't sleep much, to his dismay. He only gets a few hours in before he's wide awake and looking over a case file and numerous different notes and witness reports on Jesse McCree, the only light in the room being the candle on the desk. He could hear the hotel owner talking outside for a few minutes, his window being open, but he wasn't very concerned, even if it was too early to be talking to _anyone._ He was far too focused on the case at hand here. He didn't have much time for a noisy hotel owner.

  He runs a hand through his dark hair, looking over the latest incident. Roy Edwards, aged thirty-five, wife, two kids, school teacher. What the hell had this man done to make McCree want to kill him like this? It made Hanzo sick. According to witnesses and local law enforcement, he'd skipped town immediately following the murder, and hadn't been seen, aside from some reports made saying he'd come back to town a week and a half later. After an investigation from local police, he hadn't been found in town, so the claim was dismissed.

  Hanzo frowns at this.

  Clearly, they hadn't looked hard enough. He was certain this claim was true. If, after all this time in town, he hadn't been caught, he had to be hiding out _somewhere_. According to the case file, there had been ten murders in town in the past year, thanks to Jesse McCree. Each and every time he'd skipped town right after, only to come back and commit another murder months later? It didn't make sense in Hanzo's mind, only furthering his assumptions that Jesse wasn't really leaving town, at least not for good.

  He needed to do some deep searching. Of course Jesse wouldn't be in plain sight. His face was far too recognizable, and he'd be caught in an instant. So Hanzo gets up, gets his boots and his coat on, and heads out to get a feel of the town, and sort of look for possible niches. He was a California native (born to Japanese immigrants), so this place was new and confusing to him.

  He heads downstairs quietly, his head down, which proves to be a bit of a dumb decision because he runs right into a man with a stature similar to his own. “Excuse me,” Hanzo says immediately recognizing this as the hotel owner, and Gabriel smiles slightly as he steadies himself.

  “Detective, it's three in the morning, what on Earth are you doing leaving at this hour?” Gabriel asks, looking just a tad nervous.

  Hanzo looks him over. “I could as the same about you, Gabriel. What on Earth are you doing coming in at this hour?” He gives him a slight smile. “I could hear you talking out there a while ago.” He nods his head, gesturing to the back yard area, where he'd heard Gabriel talking through his window, again. He wondered if any other guests noticed this too. “Would you mind telling me who you were talking with?”

  Gabriel goes tense, but he keeps a straight face, hiding his slight panic. “Oh, just one of my workers. He cleans up the place.”

  Hanzo raises an eyebrow. “Is your worker named Jesse, by any chance? That's the name I heard you yelling, my window was open. Couldn't make anything else out, but I did hear that.” There were plenty men named Jesse, so Hanzo really couldn't jump to conclusions about this. Anyways, Gabriel didn't quite look the kind of man to protect a murderer, even if he was pretty burly and tough looking.

  Damn me and my big mouth, Gabriel thinks to himself before giving Hanzo a nervous chuckle. “Yeah, he is. I'm so sorry we kept you up, Detective, my apologies. Anyways, stay safe out there, sir, it's pretty dangerous around these parts lately.”

  Hanzo nods before walking out of the hotel, pulling his coat in tighter around him, mostly to feel a bit more safe. He huffs and starts walking sudden the street, his pistol in its harness around his waist. He felt safe, but he could never be too sure. As he walks, he keeps a very keen eye out, looking around wherever he could in the dark. He knows the chances of him finding Jesse were slim to none, but he still has to look. He passes by a bar, one that happens to still be open, and he pushes inside. This was the perfect place to question folks. There are a few folks still nursing drinks when he walks in, and they turn their heads to look at him.

  Hanzo ignores them and instead walks up to the man behind the bar. “Excuse me sir,” Hanzo begins as he pulls his badge out of his breast pocket. “Detective Hanzo Shimada, I'm here to find Jesse McCree. Can I ask you a few questions?”

  The man stares at him for a moment, as if he's just a little uneasy, before gesturing for Hanzo to sit down. Hanzo does, and the man sighs. “He's still here,” He mutters easily, and Hanzo is actually kind of surprised at how easy this was so far.

  “McCree?” Hanzo asks with a hopeful look, just to confirm. The man nods.

  “Mhm. Can't tell ya where for a fact.” He leans against the bar, looking Hanzo in the eye. “But there's lots of rumors goin’ around that he's hiding out in the hotel nearby, so that might be your best bet in finding him. Ol’ George over there says he seen him just the other day.” He points to a man falling asleep at a table in the corner, and Hanzo sighs, because this must be some sort of joke.

  “This is too easy,” Hanzo tells him. “It can't be this easy to find him.” He leans his elbows against the bar, starting to feel a bit frustrated. The man shakes his head.

  “No sir, it's exactly that easy. You see…” He leans in closer. “Only reason the local sheriff ain't caught him yet is ‘cause Jesse’s been threatenin’ the guys who say they'll open their mouth. Plenty people know where he is. But God help ‘em if they wanna say something.” He shakes his head slowly. “That McCree is one stone cold son of a bitch…”

  Hanzo sighs, rubbing his hands over his face a moment. “Well, there is no way I'm letting that bastard get away with another murder, I can promise you folks that. I'm here to take him back to Los Angeles, to get him hanged.”

  The man lets out an incredulous laugh. “Good luck with that, Detective. Do ya well if he don't kill ya on the way there,” He says.

  Hanzo huffs. He… hadn't actually thought about the ease of getting Jesse back to Los Angeles. It wouldn't be easy at all. And for all he knew, there could be dozens of other people trying to get their hands on Jesse in hopes of that reward money. But he was certain that he was the only one who knew where he really was, now. “You're not just lying to me?” He asks, voice a whisper.

  The man nods, a coy smile on his face. “No one else is bold enough to tell ya where Jesse is, friend. But me? I ain't got much to lose no more. So that's where he is. Get that son of a bitch out of here.”

  Hanzo doesn't waste anytime at all hurrying back to the hotel. He's still reeling over how fucking _easy_ this was. It took him twenty minutes tops once he started his investigation to find out where Jesse was. That was it. How was it this easy? It's baffling.

  He walks back inside the hotel around five in the morning, looking around for that Goddamn Gabriel. He catches him yawning and heading towards the kitchen, and Hanzo runs over and, catching the other than by surprise, pins him up against the wall, one of his forearms pressed into his throat to keep him in place.

  “Do you want to tell me where McCree is, Gabriel?” He asks menacingly, leaning in close to his ear. Gabriel has been stunned into silence, the wind knocked out of him from the force of being pushed against the wall. He honestly didn't think Hanzo could do this; Gabriel was a full head taller than Hanzo. He stares at Hanzo, finally getting his breath back after a moment.

  “I- I don't know who you're-”

  He's cut off when Hanzo growls quietly. “Don't play fucking dumb. If you're keeping him somewhere you're just as guilty as he is. Tell me where he is.”

  Gabriel takes a breath. “With all due respect, Detective, I don't know where he is. I don't know him.” He tries to remain calm, mostly to put aside any doubts Hanzo might have about him. “I swear. Last I knew he skipped town, no one’s heard from him since.”

  Hanzo glares. “You're lying to me. People have said he's hiding here. I have reason to believe you're helping.” He steps back, keeping his eye on Gabriel. “Do you mind taking me back, so I can investigate further?” He asks quietly, and Gabriel is quiet for a moment.

  “Of course not, Detective. Follow me.” He turns and starts walking, leading him out back. If Jesse had even half a mind, he'd have left after their conversation earlier that evening. But knowing Jesse, that cocky bastard would still be there, like usual. Gabriel gestures to the storage room. “Take a look,” He says, feigning confidence.

  Pulling his gun from its holster, Hanzo nods and steps towards the door before turning the handle and gently pushing the door open…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tbh i started this a LONG time ago as an original story, but i hit a bad writers block after finishing my most recent fic and had no idea what to do and it was irritating me. sooo i went way back in my docs and found this!!!! i liked where it was going, so i changed the names of the main characters and switched up some of the story and made it into a mchanzo fic! and so far im liking how its going!  
> i hope you all like it as much as im liking it so far. thanks again for reading!
> 
> also, find me on Tumblr!! wholesomegenji


	2. Chapter 2

  A quick glance around the room proves that Jesse isn't in there. He steps inside slowly, looking around carefully now. He keeps his gun in his hand, just to be safe. There was a bed up against the wall, various articles of clothing scattered around the floor, and several empty liquor bottles littering the room. To put it simply, it looked very lived in. Hanzo looks at Gabriel.

  “Who stays here?” He asks, voice stern. Gabriel looks away from Hanzo.

  “I do,” He lies easily, relieved that Jesse isn't actually here anymore. “It's my own policy that I don't live in the hotel, so I stay in this extra storage room I have, just to keep work separate.” He shifts his weight, trying not to appear nervous. Hanzo eyes him suspiciously.

  “Fine. But if you catch any word on where McCree is, come to me _immediately._ I need to find him before anything else happens, do you understand?” He asks, pointing at him. Gabriel nods, rubbing the back of his neck.

  “I understand, Detective,” He murmurs, avoiding eye contact. Hanzo doesn't really believe that Gabriel is telling the truth, but…McCree wasn't here, so what else could he do? With a huff, Hanzo walks out, slamming the door behind him.

  This was frustrating. The people in the bar gave him a lead and it led to nothing. Maybe he had been lied to. Maybe it was just some joke to play on the “city boy”. That was even more frustrating. Hanzo was a detective and an officer of the law and they thought it was okay to-

  He stops when he sees a man leaned up against the back wall of the hotel, his head down and his hat covering his face, an orange glow coming from the cigarette in his mouth. A cloud of smoke surrounds his face for a moment, and Hanzo narrows his eyes a bit. The man takes the cigarette out if his mouth. “Shimada, right?” He asks, voice a bit gravelly. Suddenly on guard, Hanzo reaches for his gun again.

  “...yes,” He murmurs warily, slowly taking the gun out again. “Who are you?” The man just chuckles, flicking his cigarette to the ground.

  Instead of providing a response, the man chuckles and crosses his arms, still not looking up. “You're lookin’ for McCree, right?” He asks, flicking his hat up just enough for Hanzo to see a smirk on his lips.

  Hanzo stands up straighter. This couldn't be… “Yes, I'm looking for McCree,” He says quietly, stepping closer. “Do you…have any information on where he might be?” He asks, pulling the hammer back on his gun. The man smiles.

  “I suppose I do, Detective. And you'll never guess where he is.” He pushes himself off the wall, stepping towards Hanzo and into the dim light of the rising sun. Hanzo takes a breath, preparing himself to shoot, just in case.

  “Where?” He demands, taking a step or two back. The man finally looks up, and Hanzo’s heart leaps when he finally sees that it's Jesse McCree. Jesse fucking McCree.

  “Right fuckin’ here, darlin,” He murmurs with a grin before hitting him in the head with something Hanzo didn't see before.

  And then it's nothing but black.

 

* * *

 

 

  “Are you dense, boy?” Gabriel demands, gesturing to an unconscious Hanzo on the ground.”Why the hell did you do that?” He puts his hands on his hips, and Jesse just rolls his eyes.

  “He came right for me. He had this look in his eyes, like he might kill me. I was scared outta my mind, Gabriel,” Jesse insists, his eyes a bit wide, even though there's only sarcasm in his voice. Gabriel glares at him.

  “You're _such_ a dick.” He looks back down at Hanzo. “This is…you've gone too far- look, he's bleeding now, McCree, you probably killed him.” He points at Hanzo, whose head is now bleeding. Jesse looks down.

  He shakes his head, kneeling and pressing his fingers to Hanzo's throat. “Nah, he's alive. But I could kill him, huh? Maybe I should…” He eyes Hanzo quizzically. Gabriel shakes his head.

  “No. Absolutely not. He's a detective, you'd be in even deeper shit if you killed him- look, go away, let me deal with this. You've caused enough trouble.” He kneels down, trying to pick Hanzo up.

  Jesse stands up, glaring. “Hey, I was trying to get him off my back, okay? Maybe I gave him amnesia or something, maybe we got lucky.”

  Gabriel tosses Hanzo over his shoulder. “No, Jesse- just- no.” He starts walking, bitter. “You need to find a better way to deal with your shit, Jesse,” Gabriel says as he walks. Jesse watches him go, hands on his hips.

  “Ya know, Gabe, you're probably right.” He sighs and looks around a bit. “But you know me. Stubborn bitch.” He says that more to himself, grinning and heading back into the room. God, he really was an ass.

 

* * *

 

 

     Hanzo wakes up in what appears to be a hospital room. His vision was a little swimmy, and his head was killing him, but everything is immediately hitting him again. McCree was here- he was right there, where the people in the bar said he'd be. Without thinking much, Hanzo tries to get up from the bed. A nurse hurries in, though, and tries to stop him.

  “Detective Shimada, please, lie back down. You've got an injury on your head, you need to rest-”

  “I don't have time.” Hanzo gently pushes her away, getting up quickly, which was a mistake because of the huge head rush he gets. He takes a second to steady himself before he looks around for any belongings they might've taken from him. Only his coat and weapons had been taken off, so he gathers everything up and heads out, getting all his holsters back in their proper places on his way. His head was pounding, specifically on the side of his head where he'd been hit, and he was sure it probably looked pretty bad, but that wasn't about to stop him. His hair covered the wound anyways, he'd be fine.

  He looks around as he steps out of the hospital. The sunlight hurt, even though the sun was setting now. The street was loud and busy, and it was a bit overwhelming. He takes a moment to process where he is before he walks in the direction he assumed his hotel was in. He recalls what happened earlier that morning; He spoke with Gabriel, did a little investigating, and Jesse McCree hit him over the head with something heavy and knocked him out. How he got from there to the hospital confused him, but he didn't have time to dwell.

  Luckily, he'd gone in the right direction, and he walks into the hotel in a hurry. Gabriel seems surprised to see him. “Detective Shimada! Are you alright?” He asks, hurrying over to him from where he stood behind the front desk. “I found this morning after we spoke, injured, and-”

  “McCree- where is he?” Hanzo asks, closing his eyes. “Where were _you_ when he attacked me last night, Gabriel? You should've been right behind me.” He doesn't even wait to start talking, and Gabriel is surprised...and worried.

  “I don't- what do you mean?” He asks, hoping he sounds confused. Hanzo sighs impatiently.

  “The storage room…not even twenty feet from where I encountered McCree,” He explains, looking at him. His head hurt like hell, and he didn't have time for this. “Where were you? You must have heard something. You must have seen _something_. So why didn't you stop him?”

  Fuck. _Fuck_. “I-I didn't see-” He looks away from Hanzo. There was no way for this to go well. He had no excuse, because in all honesty, he had just stood there and watched Jesse do it. Of course, he did help Hanzo to the hospital after the fact, but still…

  “Bullshit.” Hanzo whispers. This case was already exhausting him. He'd gotten lucky when he stayed in this hotel, the exact one McCree was supposedly hiding in, but now he's dealing with an uncooperative man who's a fucking accomplice, and he hasn't gotten an actual word out of him. But now… “I'll let you off if you tell me where he is, Gabriel,” Hanzo offers quietly. “If not, I'll arrest you and you'll be charged as an accomplice to every single murder you helped him hide from.” His voice is soft but stern, tone full of warning.

  Gabriel is quiet, genuinely thinking of this. Jesse truly was like a son to him, but his wrongdoings had finally caught up to him. And he couldn't hide anymore, or, rather, Gabriel couldn't help him anymore. They'd both been caught, and there was no use in trying anymore. “Alright,” He whispers, stepping forward. “He never left, after last night. I've known him since before he left Los Angeles, since he'd first been arrested. And I know for a fact he's too cocky and arrogant for his own good, and he didn't leave after I took you to the hospital. I haven't been back to check, but…he's probably still out in the storage room…” He rubs his arm nervously, feeling terrible for ratting the kid out, but there was nothing else he could do for him now. Jesse had been caught, and Gabriel didn't want to fall with him.

  Hanzo nods slowly. “Thank you,” He says quietly before walking out and heading around back. His gun cocked and ready, he simply kicks in the storage room door. Just like Gabriel had said, Jesse McCree stood there, in the center of the room. Hanzo is actually relieved he's here, having been afraid deep down that he'd been lied to again. “Oh, it is _so_ good to see you,” He whispers, holding out the gun. “It's unfortunate they want you alive, though.”

  Jesse chuckles quietly, shaking his head. “I'm so sorry, darlin’, but that's not gonna happen…” And before Hanzo can process what's happening, Jesse has shoved him to the ground, and has started towards the door.

  He starts sprinting out of the storage room, hoping he's gotten enough of a head start. Hanzo is quick to jump back on his feet, running after him as best he can with his head still pounding terribly. Jesse fucking McCree was just beyond his reach and he couldn't wait to have him in his grasp. God, it'd be beautiful to have that fucker behind bars…

  Or hanging from the rafters.

  Regardless, Hanzo has to give the guy some credit; he was really booking it trying to get away from Hanzo, who was relentless in chasing him down. He wasn't giving up, slowing down, nothing. It's only when it just too late does Hanzo realize he was running with a destination in mind. Just a few blocks away were a few horses tied up in front of a building. Jesse had forgotten his own horse because of the rush to get out, so these guys would have to do.

  Hanzo is absolutely shocked when, in what seems like one swift move, Jesse gets himself on the horse, a knife out of his boot, and the rope keeping the horse on the post cut. The horse’s owner is yelling, running out from his house to try and stop Jesse, but it's too late. And just like that, the horse is running, and Hanzo sees no choice but to just… go after him. He apologizes to the owner, murmuring something about official police work, as he cuts the other horse free and jumps on. He apologizes to the horse this time, the poor creature, and hurries after Jesse.

  Jesse looks over his shoulder as he guides the animal to leave the town. “Fuck,” He whispers when he sees Hanzo gaining up on him. “Sorry, fella, but I'm gonna need ya to speed it up,” He murmurs to the horse, urging it to go faster. The townspeople around have started watching, shocked to see what's going on.

  Hanzo groans, rolling his eyes. “Give it up, McCree, I got you!” He shouts, getting right up next to Jesse. He grabs at his shirt, and Jesse swats him off.

  “God, Shimada, get off!” He hisses, shoving him away as he continues to reach and grab at him. Hanzo huffs.

  “You know, you can come out of this alive if you just come with me!” Hanzo tries out with a little smile as he snags the back of Jesse’s collar again. Jesse snarls as he quickly shoves Hanzo’s hand away again, while also trying to direct his horse away- far away.

  “What, so you can just hang me later?! Fuck you!” He snaps the reins on his animal, prompting it to whinny and run just fast enough to get out of Hanzo’s reach. Hanzo huffs, frustrated as Jesse turns away, getting out of grasp.

  He gets the reins in one hand gets his pistol out with the other. “Jesse, I don't want to have to shoot you!” He aims at Jesse’s back. “Just come back with me and that'll be that.”

  Jesse is quiet for a moment, because what the fuck is this guy thinking? If he goes with him, he's basically walking to his death. He was not an idiot. So he laughs. “Fuck you!” He repeats cheerfully, a smirk on his face as he snaps the reins again, not even noticing the gun aimed at him.

  Now, Hanzo was not a bad shot by any means at all, but… he didn't want to kill him. His boss _did_ want him alive, after all. So he purposely aims a bad shot and ends up grazing Jesse's upper arm, making the other man gasp and clutch his arm in pain as he immediately started to bleed. At the same time, the sound of the shot had spooked Jesse’s horse, and before any of them can register what's happening, the animal bucks up and throws Jesse off, sending him falling to the ground. He tries and fails to get a hold of anything to keep him up right. He lands with a thud and a loud groan as his horse runs a few feet away.

  Hanzo quickly pulls his horse to a stop and jumps down before Jesse can regain the wind that was knocked out of him. He hurries over and stands above him, his gun still in his hand and pointed at Jesse. “...are you going to come with me now, McCree?” He asks quietly, looking down at him. Jesse looks up at him, wincing, still clutching his arms.

  “Ya gonna shoot me again, Shimada?” He grits out through his teeth, squeezing his bleeding arm. Hanzo shakes his head and holsters his gun.

  “No, I'm not going to shoot you,” He tells him, and Jesse visibly relaxes a bit before closing his eyes.

  “Ya really got me, ya know?” he murmurs, and Hanzo just rolls his eyes a bit. He reaches down to help him up, but before he can, Jesse sweeps out a leg, knocking his feet out from under him, sending him tumbling down with a surprised yell. As Hanzo tries to regain his footing, Jesse scrambles up to his feet and starts running again. Hanzo lets out an angry frustrated groan before quickly pulling his gun again and firing blindly as he starts running after him.

  “God damnit!” Jesse shouts as he's hit in the back of the same arm that got shot before. “You _said_ you weren't going to shoot me again! Lying son of a bitch!” He stumbles to a stop, knowing he's been caught, and that there was no way out of it. The pain shooting through his arm was taking a lot out of him. Hanzo hurriedly gets up and walks over to him.

  “That was before you ran away again, asshole,” He snaps, gripping the shoulder of Jesse’s good arm and grabbing the horse he spooked by the reins. “Up. We’re going back to town, and we’re getting train tickets back to Los Angeles so I can turn you in,” Hanzo tells an extremely disgruntled Jesse. “They’ll decide what to do with you once we're there, got it?”

  Jesse stares at him for a long moment before he gives him an extremely dirty look and spits in Hanzo’s face, to which the other man closes his eyes and grimaces. Hanzo didn't know what he expected, honestly. He wipes his face and sighs, shaking his head. Hanzo gets Jesse up onto one of the horses without much of a fight, and he uses his belt to tie Jesse’s hands up so he can't use them. Jesse scowls.

  “I feel fucking stupid, Shimada,” He mutters with a huff. “I can't even hold on, what if I fall off?” He demands as Hanzo climbs up onto the other horse, smiling a little.

  “Then I'll help you back up.” He grabs the reins of Jesse’s horse and starts leading it as he urges his own horse to walk.

  Jesse frowns and looks at Hanzo before he looks down at the ground, trying to calculate how much it would hurt if he let himself fall off. His arms were bound behind him though, so he couldn't catch himself, even if he tried. This also meant he couldn't stand himself back up to try and make some sort of getaway. So trying served no helpful solution to Jesse. That really irritated him. He's just kind of stuck here. “I need to get the damn bullet out of my arm,” He reminds him quietly as they head back to return the horses, whose owner was still panicking a but.

  “You should have thought about that before trying to run,” Hanzo says casually, smirking to himself. Jesse scoffs and kicks one of his legs out, and his foot connects with Hanzo's side.

  Hanzo gasps, jumping in surprise but wincing in pain. “McCree, what the hell?” He asks in disbelief, unable to hold the sore spot because he's still holding onto both horses. Damn that man. Jesse holds his foot out again, glaring at Hanzo. Hanzo smacks his boot, staring at him in warning. “Don't.”

  “You should've thought about that before you decided to be a bitch,” Jesse sneers in a mocking tone, nudging at him with his foot again. Hanzo rolls his eyes, followed up by a grimace.

  Hanzo hoped this trip back to LA would be easier than he expects it to be.


	3. Chapter 3

  Hanzo had agreed to let Jesse get his arm patched up before they left, even though he thought Jesse deserved to suffer a little. But then he decided that he'd rather not spend the entire trip back to LA with a man who wouldn't shut up about his arm. It would drive him crazy. However, he's very much amused when the doctor fixing him up is purposely rough while he extracts the bullet, knowing exactly who Jesse was. This guy didn't deserve to be handled gently, at least not in his opinion.

  Jesse complained about how rough the doctor was as Hanzo pulls him to the train station, but Hanzo doesn't listen, tuning him out. He was really annoying, Hanzo is quick to find out. Jesse was a talker, and he kind of didn't shut up.

  “You know,” Jesse murmurs, struggling just a bit against the cuffs that bound his hands together. His wrists were rubbing against the metal uncomfortably, and it was incredibly irritating. “You could be nicer about this whole thing.”

  With a roll of his eyes, Hanzo shoves Jesse down onto a bench in the train station. He's caught the attention of many people in the station, because _dear Heavens, Jesse McCree_ was sitting _right there._ People were rushing past him, avoiding eye contact, and Jesse just sort of has to laugh at their reactions to him. It was pretty damn amusing in his opinion. Hanzo sits beside him, checking his pocket watch. They had a couple hours until the train arrived. “I don't have to be nice about anything, McCree. You have lost that privilege.” He looks at him, and Jesse just sighs.

  “I guess you gotta point. You know, most people who actually know me say I'm not a bad guy. You should get to know me. We could be friends.” He smiles, feigning hopefulness. “It sure would be _awful nice_ to be friends.” He gives him a sugar-sweet smile, and Hanzo rolls his eyes, crossing his arms.

  “Shut up, McCree, please,” He whispers, visibly irritated with the other man. He rubs the bridge of his nose, trying to fend off the impending headache he knew would be coming soon. Jesse sighs and gives a big shrug before he thumps back into the seat, shaking his head. To Hanzo's surprise, he does actually keep quiet, and even better, still. He doesn't move, and Hanzo is glad because he doesn't feel like chasing him down down again.

  It's about an hour before the train is due to arrive when there's an announcement. All trains out of the town would be delayed at least a few days for unforeseen reasons- Hanzo's head spins around to the person making the announcements. “Unforeseen reasons?” He stands up, confused. “What do you mean?”

  The man sighs. “There's been a railroad obstruction, and we can't clear it out for a few days.” When Hanzo starts stepping closer he holds up his hands. “Sorry, I don't know what to yell you, buddy,” He explains, looking pretty exasperated. Hanzo sighs angrily.

  “What am I supposed to do with _that_?” He demands, pointing at Jesse, who looks offended.

  “Excuse me!” Jesse gasps, glaring. “My _name_ is _Jesse_ , you inconsiderate ass,” He snaps, and Hanzo rolls his eyes, pointedly looking away from him.

  “I have no doubt you know who that is, sir,” Hanzo explains quietly, trying to lay things out clearly for him. “I need to get him to Los Angeles ASAP, so he can be properly jailed, alright? I need to get him there.” The man looks at Jesse, then back at Hanzo.

  “Sure, I know who he is,” He murmurs. “And look, if you need to get him there so bad, I guess you're gonna have to foot it. There's maps, I'm sure it's not that hard.” He gestures to the door. “And I'm sure there's a carriage somewhere you can buy or something- just get _him_ out of here.” He gestures to Jesse. “He's scaring folks…”

  Jesse scowls bitterly. “Well…” He stands up, sticking his nose in the air. “I can tell when I'm not wanted,” He murmurs sarcastically and dramatically, shaking his head a bit, feigning sadness. Hanzo quickly turns around, bewildered.

 “What-?” He's cut off when Jesse suddenly starts booking it without warning. “Oh, hell-” Hanzo groans and starts sprinting after him, groaning. Of course. Of _course_ this would happen. “McCree, stop!” He shouts.

  But Jesse doesn't stop, shoving people out of the way with his shoulders, quite harshly too, making people yelp in surprise. Hanzo apologizes as he runs past those same people, just trying to catch up. Hanzo calls out to him again, but Jesse just tries to keep running without losing his balance; his hands were still cuffed together, and if his feet decided to give out there's no way he'd catch himself without hurting something. “Fuck,” He whispers to himself, having to stop around a corner to gauge where he is. “Fuck-”

  Hanzo catches up, finally, and tackles him down to the ground, eliciting a loud groan from the other man, who's got him pinned to the ground and is sitting on his lower back, knees on either side of him. “Are you serious?” Hanzo asks through gasps for breath, still managing to sound angry.

  Jesse just plops his face down in the dirt, his eyes closed. “Figured I'd make one last getaway attempt,” He mutters, lifting his head up enough to speak. “Didn't think it through very well now did I?”

  Shaking his head, Hanzo gets off of him and pulls him up. “No, clearly you didn't.” He frowns at him, looking at Jesse's face, which is now covered in dirt and a scratch here and there. Hanzo sighs and brushes his face off for him. Jesse grimaces, pretending to nip at Hanzo's hand. Hanzo quickly pulls it away, then goes back to brushing Jesse's face off when he's sure Jesse won't do that again. “There.” He sighs, then rolls his eyes when Jesse starts pouting. He starts to lead Jesse away. “Now come on, we have to find a way to get to California…”

 

***

 

  Hanzo is just glad he didn't have to spend any of his own money. The station had provided him with funds for whatever he might need when tracking Jesse down and getting back to California. And after a purchase of a horse, a carriage big enough for the two of them, and enough food and supplies to last them at least two weeks, Hanzo is certain he might get a talking to once back. This wasn't cheap at all, and he did feel guilty spending all that he did; to be fair, though, they did send him with a _lot_ of money, more than enough.

  Jesse stares at the carriage. “...so _this_ is how we're gettin’ to California, huh?” He asks, gesturing to it with a nod. “Really?” Hanzo nods, hands on his hips.

  “Yes. Now get in, we have to get going.” He gestures towards the carriage, and Jesse sighs, climbing up and sitting in the seat. Hanzo follows after him, raising an eyebrow at the sour look on Jesse's face. “What?” He asks.

  “We better take the fuckin’ scenic route then, ya hear? No way I'm starin’ at fuckin’ dirt for God knows how long,” He grumbles, slumping down into the seat. Hanzo frowns.

  “I don't have any say in the matter. Whatever road gets us there fastest is the road we're going to take. Now, can I trust you with the map?” He asks, pulling out a map from the back of the carriage, which held all their other supplies.

  Jesse sighs impatiently. “I don't know, can you uncuff my hands?” He asks, exasperated. Hanzo states at him.

  He doesn't say anything before he just unfolds the map in his own lap. “I don't trust you without bound hands. You might try to strangle me or something of the sort,” He murmurs, looking it over, trying to pinpoint where they are.

  Jesse can't help but shake his head. “Great.” He stares at his hands; his wrists were really red, having been rubbed raw by the metal. He thinks they might start bleeding soon if he wasn't careful. He wishes these damned things were off. He hated being bound or tied up; it brought up some ugly memories from his adolescence he didn't wish to remember.

  Hanzo eyes him for a moment before he clears his throat and folds the map back up, picking up the horse's reins. He gives them a gentle snap, and the horse starts walking. And so began the God awful journey ahead of them. The first few hours aren't so bad. They pull out the hood the carriage provided above them, so the heat is actually bearable. They stop a time or two so the horse can have water, and they can, ah, _relieve themselves_.

  On their first break, Jesse can't help but sneak a peek over at Hanzo. He had to know what that man had in his trousers; he was just, you know, curious to see if Hanzo was “more of a man” than he was and- oh _wow_. He blushes and looks away, clearing his throat a bit. He's relieved Hanzo didn't notice him, because that would've made this even worse. He was certain Hanzo wouldn't appreciate another man looking at his dick. He pretends it didn't happen.

  That night, Hanzo pulls the carriage off the main road so they can set up camp for the night. Jesse is actually surprised the man knows how to build a fire, and it shows. Hanzo raises an eyebrow at him as he tosses a stick into the flames. “What?”

  Jesse shrugs, watching him. “You know how to build a fire,” He murmurs, looking at the burning pieces of wood. Hanzo can't help but chuckle, sitting down.

  “Yes, I do. Why is that surprising?” He asks, a little confused. Jesse shrugs, lying down on his side, enjoying the cool breeze the incoming night brought.

  “You're a city man. You don't need to know how to build a fire,” He explains with a one sided shrug. “Where'd ya learn?”

  Hanzo sighs quietly, glancing at him, then staring at the ground. “I was in the army for a short while,” He murmurs, picking up a lone stick and kind of digging it into the dirt. “I picked up a thing or two. Building a fire was one of them.” He sighs, getting up and grabbing a bottle of whiskey from the carriage. He sits back down, popping it open. Jesse can't help but grin.

  The man had some taste.

  “Army, huh?” He asks, watching as Hanzo takes a swig from the bottle. Jesse nods his head towards him, silently asking for him to hand the bottle over. He does, and Jesse, even with bound hands, takes a big drink. “Tell me about it. Why a short while?”

  Hanzo doesn't respond for a moment, taking the bottle back. “I got shot, and was discharged early. I almost lost my legs,” He explains, his voice quiet. He gestures to his legs before taking another sip from the bottle. “Took me a few years but I was able to get myself better again. I decided that I'd do police work instead, keep myself out of war, but still do something to help serve this country.” He shrugs slightly.

  Jesse nods slowly, taking all this in, then taking the bottle back from him casually as best he can with the cuffs around his wrists. “Guess your bum legs would explain why you tried so hard to keep me from runnin’ when you first arrested me, huh?” He asks, looking at Hanzo, who just gives him a dirty look.

  “I suppose that was part of the reason, yes. It was still difficult for me to run.” He watches as Jesse takes another large drink, chuckling after the bottle comes away from his lips.

  “Now look at you. Able to catch me so easy now, huh?” He asks with a grin, and Hanzo rolls his eyes, smirking. Jesse continues, staring at the bottle in his hands. “So...why _did_ you join the military? Especially with, you know, you bein’ an immigrant and all.” He winces at himself, hoping that doesn’t sound racist.

  Hanzo is quiet, a bit surprised. “Well...I was born here, for one, so this is the only home I know. My parents loved it here very much, and wanted us to, you know, not be of any trouble. To prove the Shimadas would be helpful and useful citizens. They sort of...forced my brother and I to enlist when we were younger, and we did. My parents were all about honor, and going to war, defending our home, was most honorable. Moreso, dying in war.” He clears his throat a bit, digging his stick into the dirt even more, starting to draw something Jesse doesn’t recognize. Maybe a letter? It looked like a bunch of lines.

  “The expected you die?” Jesse asks, confused, watching him. “They sent you off just to die?” He sounds incredulous, maybe even pissed off. Hanzo shakes his head, smiling slightly.

  “No, not at all. They wanted us to come home, of course, but if we did happen to die, well…” He shrugs slightly, his sentence kind of trailing off. Jesse nods slowly, handing the bottle back to him. Hanzo hesitates a moment before he takes it, sipping from it. “I got lucky, I got out with only injuries. Mere bumps and scrapes compared to what I saw out there.”

  Jesse doesn’t say anything, just sort of waiting for him to continue. He...sort of felt bad for this guy. He had a feeling this story wasn’t going to have a happy ending; what war story did, nowadays? He momentarily forgets the situation they’re in, caught up in Hanzo’s story.

  Hanzo does continue. “I came home without my brother. He stayed to fight while i went home to recover. All of us, me, my parents, we were all sick with worry, hoping he’d come home.” He inhales sharply, his already dark brown eyes seeming to lose color and light. Jesse’s stomach turns a bit.

  When Hanzo doesn’t say anything for a moment, it clicks in Jesse’s head what happened. “He never came home, did he?” He asks, his voice quiet. Hanzo shakes his head slowly, looking down at the kanji he’d written in the dirt; Genji’s name. He hadn’t even realized he’d done it.

  “He never came home,” Hanzo repeats, staring down. “We got the telegram maybe a month after I was sent home, saying that Genji was dead, and that they weren’t able to retrieve his body.” He shifts a little bit, the alcohol starting to intensify his emotions, making tears sting in his eyes. “He was my best friend. The only one who understood me and what I was going through. I was supposed to protect him and keep him safe- I was the older brother, you know? But I couldn’t do that.” He quickly swipes at his eyes, and if Jesse sees the tears, he’s glad he didn’t say anything.

  “Hey, pal, I’m…” He sighs quietly, shaking his head. “I’m sorry about all that. I’m sorry you lost him,” He offers, sitting up with a bit of a struggle. Hanzo shakes his head.

  Why was he even telling Jesse all of this? He didn’t owe this man his story; in fact, he’s certain it was dangerous that he was revealing any personal information. But now that he was properly buzzed, he didn’t much care. And honestly? It felt good to get all this out. “It’s- It’s fine. It happened well over a decade ago. I’ve moved on. I’ve moved past it.” He sighs and stands up, dusting himself off. “You need to get some sleep.”

  Jesse watches him walk towards the carraige, digging around for something in the back. “So do you, pal,” He reminds him casually. Hanzo turns and gives him a look.

  “I don’t trust you enough to go to sleep,” He mutters bitterly. “I may have...shown some vulnerability, but that does _not_ mean I trust you any more than I did before, McCree.”

  Jesse rolls his eyes. “I’m not gonna run, Shimada-”

  “You are a liar and I don’t trust you. That’s final.” He finally finds what he’s looking for. A book. Jesse sighs.

  “I guess you got good reason not to,” He mumbles, hating to agree with him. If he was honest, he’d totally run away if he knew he could get away with it. But he knew that now, here in the middle of nowhere with no supplies of his own, no way to carry any supplies, no way to uncuff himself, that he’d die before he even got anywhere. Maybe it was for the best if he didn’t try anything funny. “Stay up then.”

  Hanzo sit back down, not responding to them. Deciding to enjoy the way the alcohol was making him feel, he doesn’t argue with Jesse, instead staying up reading, occasionally looking at Jesse, who is, surprisingly, asleep in only an hour. All that running he’s done lately must be tiring him out...

  Which was, in all honesty, amazing.


	4. Chapter 4

  Hanzo does end up staying up essentially all night. His buzz wears off after a few hours, the fire dies out, the sun rises, and Jesse stirs. Hanzo looks up from his book when he sees Jesse turn, then sit up. He lets out a yawn, then, as he's going to rub his eyes, smacks himself in the face with the handcuffs. 

  He groans in displeasure then lowers his hands, blinking away sleep. “Aw, hell, seriously?” He grumbles to himself, voice rough from sleep. Hanzo raises an eyebrow, smirking a little. 

  “I'm not going to take those off,” He says quietly, amused. Jesse just glares at him. 

  “Whatever,” He mutters, shaking his head. He looks around. “Did you really stay up all night?” He asks quietly, and Hanzo nods, standing up and stretching a little. 

  He starts walking around their little campsite, packing up their things. “I did. I'm accustomed to not getting much sleep,” He explains, putting everything back into the carriage.

  Jesse scoffs, doing his best to get to his feet. “You're gonna have to sleep sometime, pal,” He reminds him casually as he gets back into the carriage, yawning again. Hanzo sighs, giving a little pat to the horse before climbing up next to Jesse. 

  “I will,” He agrees. “But I still don't trust you to not kill me in my sleep.” He looks at him, and Jesse laughs. 

  “If I can trust you not to leave me for dead in the middle of nowhere, I'm sure you can trust me not to run off or kill you in your sleep. Listen, buddy, as much I don't wanna be arrested or hanged, I already know there's nothin’ I can really do about it anymore if I don't wanna be in any more trouble than I was before. Bein’ on the run was gettin’ tiring anyways,” He murmurs with a forlorn sigh.

  Hanzo takes all of this in, honestly very surprised by Jesse's change of attitude. He raises an eyebrow. “...this is a very different view on things than you had yesterday, McCree,” Hanzo observes, bewildered. “Why the sudden change?”

  Jesse has to think about this. Did he give an honest answer? Did he lie? “I guess what happened yesterday…” He looks away from Hanzo, shifting uncomfortably in his seat. He can't say that he actually felt bad for Hanzo and didn't want to make his life any more hard because he just couldn't do as he's told. “Maybe it was the whiskey, but I realized I can't do shit about what's happenin’ to me. I coulda run, if I wanted to. I coulda left  _ you  _ out here and took everythin’ with me.”

  Hanzo’s expression goes sour, but he keeps his gaze at the road ahead of them. 

  “But even I gotta admit when I'm beat. And bein’ out here in the middle of nowhere…I probably couldn't make it, so... I'm beat.” He looks down at his hands. Here he was, hardened criminal Jesse McCree, admitting defeat over something as silly as probably not being able to make it back to town on his own. He felt pathetic. 

  Hanzo doesn't say anything for a moment, his expression softening a bit as he looks over at Jesse. “Huh,” He looks away again. He isn't even sure he should one hundred percent believe Jesse is being honest. But he had to admit Jesse's demeanor really had changed. 

  They're both quiet, trying to fend off the impending awkward air around them by stopping the conversation right there. Luckily, it works, and they just spend a couple hours in silence. Jesse is the one to speak first. “I know I'm not a good person,” He murmurs, looking out over the barren land that was the middle of nowhere.

  Hanzo looks over and raises an eyebrow. He doesn't say anything, waiting for elaboration. 

  “I know what I do is fucked up. I take folks away from families, maybe sometimes I kill someone who ain't even a bad guy.” He sighs and shakes his head. “Gabe always told me I should watch my back. Never back down from a fight, protect myself. Be stronger than everyone else, never take any shit from anyone…don't let some guy shorter than me arrest me.” He eyes Hanzo with a smirk, and Hanzo rolls his eyes, punching him in the shoulder. Jesse laughs, rubbing the spot Hanzo punched as best he can with the cuffs. “But, ya know, I'm bein’ serious here. Gabe was a great guy. He helped me a lot back when I was dumbass kid. I was the one who- who took his advice all wrong and turned into what I am. I screwed up. I know he thinks it's his fault, but it's all mine.”

  Hanzo doesn't say anything for a moment before he sighs quietly. “I'm surprised you've come to this realization. I expected a lot more fight from you on this trip,” He admits, looking at him. 

  Jesse only offers a shrug. “Believe it or not I do got a conscience. I ignore it nine times outta ten, but it's still there. And now that we're on the road with nothin’ to do, I’ve had a lotta time to think.” He shifts a bit. “And that's what I've been thinkin’ of.”

  Nodding slowly, Hanzo reaches into the pocket of his coat, taking out a key. Jesse's little story has touched him a bit, why not throw him a bone. “Can I trust you, McCree?” He asks quietly, looking at him warily. He knows he can't, but it's clear Jesse's guard is down now. Maybe he won't be so tough. 

  Jesse looks back at him, smirking. “Can't answer that, partner. That's for  _ you _ to decide,” He tells him matter-of-factly. Hanzo huffs and sets the horse’s reins down, grabbing the cuffs around Jesse's wrists. He unlocks the cuffs and lets them fall to the floor of the carriage. Jesse sighs in relief once they're off and gently rubs his wrists, which were lightly bruised now. “Thanks.”

  Hanzo doesn't respond, picking up the reins after putting the key back in his pocket.

  “Really, this is nice. My wrists were startin’ to kill me. And I don't much like having my wrists bound like that.” That's more of an offhand comment, but Hanzo laughs a little. 

  “I'd assume not, considering you're a criminal,” He says through a chuckle. Jesse scowls, nudging him. 

  “That ain't what I mean, jackass,” He huffs, looking away. “There's a lot you don't know about me, Han, and I don't intend to share.” 

  “I never asked you to,” Hanzo says simply, sitting up a bit straighter. “Although, I did tell you personal details about my life. It'd only be fair if you shared some of yours,” He points out casually, smirking. Jesse scoffs and waves a hand at him. 

  “A pansy-ass like you couldn't handle the stories I got,” Jesse claims, crossing his arms with a huff. “You know what I've done.” 

  Hanzo hums in agreement, nodding slowly. “I do. I'm curious to know more, though.” Jesse can't tell if he's teasing or not, so he narrows his eyes and stares at him. Hanzo glances over, then tries not to smile. “Really, I am.”

  Leaning back again, Jesse takes a breath, not sounding very happy. “Fine. Buckle up, pal, because it's story time.” He claps his hands, opens his mouth to start talking, then suddenly pauses. “You got a cigarette?” He asks quietly, and Hanzo wordlessly shakes his head. Grumbling to himself a bit, Jesse slides down in his seat. “Well that's just fuckin’ fantastic… _ anyways _ .” He sighs, his eyes rolling up towards the sky as he thinks.

  “Take your time,” Hanzo murmurs with a small smile, actually pretty interested in what Jesse had to say. They had nothing else to do, after all.

  After a moment, Jesse begins. “I got all caught up with the wrong folks when I was a kid. I was so Goddamn stupid- well, you know how kids are sometimes." He waves his hand dismissively, then continues. "Ended up joinin’ this gang. I did some awful things just to be accepted by them. I mean, I didn't have no one else. Parents died, left me on the streets. The gang took me in.”

  Hanzo goes quiet. He decides not to ask which gang he was a part of.

  “They weren't a kind people. They did some terrible things not only to normal people, but also the gang members…” He takes a shaky breath. “One night, they tied me up tight-” He holds up his wrists. “-and they took an iron to me. Branded me like a Goddamn animal. All part of the initiation, ya know? I never wanted that, though, but I was a kid. A dumb one. Well, I grew up real quick after that, and after a while I started drinkin’ to try and forget all the stupid things I did. To try to- to take away the memories. And soon enough, you arrested me.” He nudges Hanzo with a smirk, but it's a sad sort of smirk. Hanzo doesn't comment, smiling only a little when Jesse nudges him. “You sorta turned me around a bit, buddy. Because that's when I met good ol’ Gabe. He took me in, said he'd bail me out; Apparently he was one of my dad’s best friends, but I never met him before that. And…well, you know the rest.” He he's of his story, playing with his hands. “Now we're on the way to LA so I can get all executed and shit.”

  Hanzo shifts in his seat. “Hm,” He hums quietly, taking all this in. Would asking why exactly he started murdering people be wrong? He thinks so. Anyways, Jesse already gave him the gist of why, so he decides not to ask for elaboration. He does, however, ask about the drinking. “You, ah…used to drink a lot, back then?” He asks for clarification. 

  Jesse hums and nods. “Mhm. I still hit the bottle whenever I can nowadays. It helps more than I could imagine. Let me tell you, as much as I enjoy givin’ people what they deserve, sometimes it just…comes back and haunts me.” He shivers at whatever thought suddenly comes to his mind. “Whiskey sure does stop that…”

  Hanzo knows that certainly isn't healthy, and it didn't help that he'd brought alcohol along on the trip. Ah…that was a dumb move on his part. Moderation would be key. “I drank a lot too, when my brother died. It was the only way I could cope with his death at the time. So...I suppose I understand you on that level. The dependency you feel, I mean,” He elaborates, and Jesse nods. 

  “Yeah,” He voice just kind of goes quiet, and he opts not to say anything more. Silence once more fills the air around them, neither knowing what else to say. They're quiet until Hanzo gestures for the map, which Jesse hands to him, sometime in the afternoon.

  “We should be getting close to a town. We should stop there for the night, get some decent rest.” He's talking mostly to himself, but Jesse still nods in understanding. They come upon the town just a few hours later as the sun is setting. After asking for directions in this quiet little town, Hanzo gets them to a hotel, where they both step out if the carriage.

  Jesse stretched out, yawning. “A bed. Oh, a bed is gonna be so nice.” He starts walking in, and Hanzo scrambles to get the horse hitched up to the post with the other carriages. He jogs after Jesse, then heads up to the counter.

  “Just tonight,” He tells the young man, pulling out a few bills from his wallet. The young man nods, and Hanzo gives him some basic info before being given a key to their room. “Don't try anything funny,” Hanzo warns Jesse quietly as they head up to their room. “I will not hesitate to put the handcuffs on you again.”

  Jesse holds up his hands in defense. “Okay, okay, I got it,” He insists, rolling his eyes. Hanzo nods firmly, then unlocks the door to their room…only to be faced with a single bed. 

  Fantastic.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yeah, that trope is making an appearance  
> not sorry


	5. Chapter 5

  Jesse stands in the doorway, arms crossed, lips pursed as he tries to fight off laughter. He hums quietly as Hanzo puts his head in his hands. He uncrosses his arms and pats Hanzo's shoulder. “Look on the bright side, pal,” He starts with a smile.

  Hanzo looks up, glaring at him. “And what, exactly, is the bright side?” He asks, bitterness lacing his words. “Please, enlighten me, McCree.”

  Jesse holds up his finger, opening his mouth to speak. But no words come out. Hanzo stares at him, frowning when he doesn't speak. “Ah…” Jesse slowly lowers his hand. “Alright, maybe there's nothin’ good about this.”

  Hanzo just doesn't say anything before shaking his head and walking into the room. “You sleep on the floor,” He says simply, gesturing to the floor. Jesse gasps.

  “What kinda fair is that?” He demands, hands on his hips. Hanzo scoffs.

  “Fair? If you want to talk about fair, how fair is it that you-”

  Jesse's face falls before Hanzo can continue. Hanzo sees that, and he doesn't continue. Jesse frowns. “Yeah, shut your fuckin’ mouth,” He mutters, waving him off. “Floor it is.”

  Hanzo watches as Jesse takes a blanket and a pillow off the bed, plops it onto the floor, then sits down, taking off his boots. Hanzo can't say he's sorry, because he's kind of not. Without speaking anymore, they get ready for bed. Hanzo sits on the edge of the bed and takes his hair out if its ponytail, tossing the ribbon onto the nightstand. He closes his eyes for a second or two before he turns out the light. He lies back in bed, staring up at the ceiling.

  There's silence in the room, aside from noises outside as the town started to settle into night. At one point, Hanzo turns onto his side and accidentally catches a glimpse of Jesse on the floor, the moonlight illuminating the room just enough to see him clearly, and- _oh shit, he's naked_ -

  He doesn't move for a second, eyes on Jesse. Jesse raises an eyebrow at him, and Hanzo inhales sharply before he silently turns over again, hand covering his mouth as his eyes widen. He feels his face go hot, a strange electricity going through his body. How did he not notice Jesse get completely naked? How did he not notice? He swallows nervously before taking a second to think. There were a few things, here…

  One, Jesse was, obviously, naked.

  Two, from the glimpse he got of Jesse's body, he could tell that he was fit. And frankly, more good looking than Hanzo had anticipated.

  And three.. Jesse caught him looking.

  He can't decide which of these points is the worst.

  He's brought out of his thoughts when Jesse suddenly chuckles, making him jump a bit. “See anything you like, darlin’?” Jesse asks quietly, and even though Hanzo isn't looking, he can tell that Jesse is grinning.

  “No,” Hanzo answers, maybe a bit too quickly. Jesse laughs this time, sitting up and leaning back on his hands.

  “You sure? It may be dark, but I saw you gettin’ an eyeful.” His voice is soft, sultry. The same voice he'd use to pick up the ladies, and occasionally, a man. “Is there somethin’ you ain't tellin’ me?” He asks.

  Hanzo stiffens, still not turning around to look at him. “No. I have nothing to say. Maybe _you_ have something to say to _me,_ ” He insists, his voice a little strained. Jesse hums quietly before standing up, pulling on his underwear, and getting in bed beside Hanzo. Hanzo immediately freaks out the second he feels the bed dip, flailing a bit as he tries to move away, making Jesse erupt into laughter.

  “Really?” He asks through his laughter, holding his stomach. Hanzo manages to catch himself before he falls off the bed, and he breathes a bit hard. He finally turns around, glaring.

  “Stop laughing. Right now. I don't-” Visibly flustered, he tries to look anywhere but at Jesse, who just props himself up on his elbow as his laughter dies down.

  “You're bein’ ridiculous, darlin’,” He whispers. “You can be honest with me, ya know. All secrets taken to the grave. Considerin’ I'll be dead by the end of the week, you won't have to worry for very long, right? We can talk like the ladies do, all secrets and gossip, ya know?”

  Hanzo bites his lip, irritated that he'd been caught so easily. There was…one secret Hanzo had tried to keep under wraps since he was a teenager. Especially once he was in the army. He…well, he liked men like he should like women. And Jesse has a point. He'd be dead in just a few days, and Hanzo's secret would go right with him. He shifts a bit, sitting up and leaning against the headboard, pulling his knees up to his chest. “Fine,” He whispers, closing his eyes again. “But if you tell a soul, I will kill you on the spot.”

  Jesse nods slowly. “Then I'll shout it right as they put the noose around me.” He snaps his fingers and points at him, grinning. Hanzo smacks him, grimacing. Jesse gasps quietly, holding his cheek in faux shock. “Hanzo! Why, I _never_ -”

  “That isn't- shut up. Now,” He demands, sounding exasperated. Jesse just huffs and crosses his arms. “I don't even know why I'm telling you _anything_ …” The more he thinks about it, the more he thinks he _can_ tell Jesse anything purely because he's going to be dying soon, and Hanzo sees him sort of as a way to get out everything he's been holding in for years without actual consequences. A way to vent. Jesse would, like he said, take it all to the grave.

  Jesse suddenly gets a bright idea before Hanzo can continue (he looked like he was lost in thought anyways), and, just to irritate Hanzo further, he slides a hand onto Hanzo's thigh, smirking. “I get that. But let me take a guess,” He whispers, sliding his hand up. Hanzo doesn't react, mostly because he doesn't want to give Jesse the satisfaction of it. Instead, he blushes and looks towards the ceiling, his hands clenched into fists. Jesse leans in, whispering in Hanzo's ear. “You like men, don't you?”

  Hanzo swallows hard. It felt weird to hear it, and he's glad he didn't have to say it. “So what if I do?” He responds quietly, closing his eyes as Jesse's hand inches closer and closer to his clothed cock.

  Jesse shrugs a bit, pausing right before he touches him. “I do too,” He murmurs, pressing a soft kiss behind Hanzo's ear, taking his hand away. Hanzo sighs shakily, only a tiny bit sad about that. Even so, Jesse confessing he liked men too relaxes Hanzo. He manages to look at Jesse again.

  “Really?” He asks quietly, and Jesse smirks, nodding.

  “Sure do, darlin’.” He lies back in the bed, putting his arms behind his head. Hanzo nods, trying to ignore the fact he was mere seconds away from an erection. The silence resumes only for a moment as Hanzo gives up and lies down next to Jesse. Jesse purses his lips, a question popping into his mind. “So…when did you know?”

  Hanzo looks at him, an eyebrow raised. “What do you mean?” He asks, and Jesse sighs.

  “When did you know you liked men?” He clarifies, and Hanzo goes still, because he knows exactly when he realized it. Down to the second it happened.

  Hanzo shifts nervously. “I'm afraid to tell you the answer,” He whispers, and Jesse chuckles.

  “Aw, don't be shy, darlin’.” Jesse smiles at him. “Did ya find out late or somethin’?”

  “No, it's just…” How did he put it into words? “To this day I still can't accept it, how I realized. I was afraid it would interfere with my work, and with this job, so I pushed it away, and I forgot about it. I don't want to think of it anymore, so I'm not going to tell you.” But the floodgates have opened, and now all Hanzo could think about was _him_.

   _Jesse_ , and how he'd fallen for him the second they'd touched for the first time, despite the situation they'd been in. That's how love at first sight worked, right? 

  Raising an eyebrow, Jesse sits up a little bit. “Wait, it would interfere with this job?” He asks quietly. “What does that mean?” He asks, confused. Hanzo goes a little tense, glancing at him.

  “I’m not saying anymore about this, McCree,” He whispers, turning over. “Maybe it’s best if we just go to sleep…” He closes his eyes, shifting nervously. “You may stay in the bed, but do _not_ touch me again.”

  Jesse goes quiet. “...sure,” He murmurs, lying back down. Jesse doesn’t move until he hears Hanzo quietly starts snoring. Then, he sits up, looking at him, biting his lip a bit. He wondered what Hanzo was going to say. Of course, he had a sneaking suspicion that, well...it was him. Hanzo was going to say he liked him. He chuckles to himself before getting out of bed and pulling on his clothes.

  He’d been waiting for a moment like this, when Hanzo wasn’t paying attention for just long enough he could slip away. Admittedly, it’s only been two days and there weren’t many openings. And, obviously, he didn’t expect that he and Hanzo would have such a vulnerable conversations and that they’d spend so much time getting all personal and shit before hand. And he certainly didn’t expect to be hinted at that Hanzo actually liked him. What did he even do with that information other than ignore it and try to forget it? To pretend that that he didn’t think of Hanzo like that too, even if it was many, many years ago?

  Still, he pulls on his boots, grabs his hat, and gives one last look to Hanzo before he walks out of the room, very gently closing the door behind him.

 

* * *

 

 

  Hanzo wakes up, and he immediately knows that something isn’t right. Jesse isn’t in bed with him, which he suspected anyways, but when he turns to look to the floor, Jesse isn’t there either. A hot anger suddenly shoots through him, and he grunts in anger before he hurriedly pulls on his clothes and holster, running out of the room to look for Jesse. Where the fuck could he have gone besides _anywhere in the Goddamn state_? He runs out of the hotel, frantically looking around. The horse and carriage was still there, with all their supplies and everything, which meant Jesse hadn’t stolen it...which was good. He looks around some more, starting to walk through the town, hoping to catch even a glimpse of him.

  After ducking into building after building, with no luck, he finally comes across a saloon at the other end of town. A saloon. _Of course_ . He says a little prayer before he pushes open the door, quickly scanning the room. He breathes a heavy sigh of relief when Jesse is sitting at the bar, a glass of whiskey in his hand. Nobody else is there, which for a moment baffles Hanzo, but when he realizes it's eight in the morning and the bartender probably went home and let McCree stay simply to avoid having to deal with him, it makes sense. He shakes off the confusion. “McCree, what the _fuck_?” He demands, visibly angry. Jesse turns around, raising an eyebrow.

  “Hey there,” He responds with a little smile. “You look mighty pissed, darlin’,” He observes, gesturing to him with his glass. Hanzo crosses his arms, frowning.

  “ _Yes_ , McCree. I _am_ pissed. Why the hell did you leave?” He asks, bewildered. “I thought I could trust- no, you know what, I shouldn’t have trusted you.” He pulls a pair of handcuffs from his belt. Jesse quickly downs his glass and sighs.

  “Hanzo, I didn’t leave town. All I did was go for a drink,” He tries to defend himself, getting up off the barstool, stepping away from Hanzo as he steps close to him. Alright, if he was being honest he was going to run off, steal the carriage, and make a run for it. But...something made him second guess what he was doing, and it wasn’t the fear of dying- which was, unbelievably, pretty intense. But still, no, it was something else.

  Something else he wasn’t ready to face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> im gonna be honest i cranked this chapter out just to be done with it sigh  
> i'll try to get some better stuff out next chapter. srry folks


	6. Chapter 6

  Hanzo pauses, eyeing him. “...you shouldn't have left the room at all, McCree. Someone could have seen you, and you could have gotten in even more trouble. The bartender, for one-” 

  Jesse just shrugs. “He didn't care. Don't think he even knew who I was, if I'm bein’ honest.” He shakes his head quickly, holding up his hands. “But- But I didn't- look, Hanzo, I'm…sorry, okay?” He looks away as he puts his hands down, almost looking like he's embarrassed that he just actually apologized. “Won't do it again.”

  “No, you won't,” Hanzo affirms after a beat of silence, gripping Jesse's arm and pulling him out of the saloon. “Anyways, you shouldn't be drinking so early in the day,” He murmurs, leading him back across town to the hotel. 

  Jesse scoffs, suddenly feeling back to his old self again. “Bet you'd know a thing or two about that, darlin’,” He mutters, and Hanzo squeezes him tightly in retaliation, making sure his nails dig in a bit, making Jesse inhale sharply and wince. “Jeez, I was kiddin’-”

  “Shut up,” Hanzo warns quietly, glancing at him. Jesse just sighs, frowning. The rest of the walk to the hotel is spent in silence, with Jesse keeping his head down, his hat tilted to keep his face a bit more covered. The last thing Hanzo wanted to deal with was another town going crazy because Jesse McCree was spotted wandering around.Hanzo closes the door after shoving Jesse inside. “Get your things. We’re leaving.”

  Jesse pouts, looking at Hanzo. “What, we aren't gonna get breakfast?” Hanzo stays quiet, crossing his arms and staring at Jesse with a bit of a menacing look. It doesn't take more than a second or two for Jesse to back down, waving a hand at Hanzo. “Whatever.” He gathers what little he left in the room and sighs. 

  Hanzo pulls the map out of the bag he brought inside and lays it out over the bed. He looks at Jesse, gesturing for him to come closer. Jesse sighs and walks over, looking at the map with him. “We should make it to Los Angeles in a few days, if we don't stop very often,” Hanzo explains. He points to a city almost two hundred miles away. “This will be our next stop, and we'll stay there a night. Understand?” He asks, and Jesse huffs. 

  He wished Hanzo was slow down. This was…all happening so fast. 

  “Yeah, I get it,” He murmurs, moving away from him. “I get it.” He turns away and starts walking out. Hanzo watches him for a moment, feeling a little tug in his chest. He knew Jesse wasn't happy about this. He knew that he was leading him to his death, and he knew he was doing it rather quickly. He tries to stop himself from feeling bad for him, because even with the way he felt about Jesse, he knew he deserved what was coming.

  Hanzo quickly folds up the map again, hurrying to follow Jesse out. After a quick supply run, they're back on the road, back in silence. Hanzo isn't exactly sure how or when it happens, but Jesse has produced a knife, and he starts carving things in the wood of the carriage. Hanzo only notices when he hears the scratching of the blade. “Mc-” He shakes his head in surprise. “McCree, where did you get that? I took your weapons away.” At least, he's fairly sure he did. 

  Jesse shrugs. “You did, yeah. But I took them back while you were asleep last night,” He says with a grin, looking at him. Hanzo frowns, and Jesse holds up the knife, giving it a little twirl before thing back to his carving. Hanzo rolls his eyes. 

 “You're ridiculous,” He murmurs, keeping his eyes ahead. “Don’t carve anything obscene…”

  Jesse pauses, glancing at him. Then, he smirks and starts carving a dick into the wood. Hanzo doesn’t notice until he hears Jesse starts snickering. He quickly turns his head to see what Jesse’s done, and he gasps when Jesse points to his drawing with the blade of his knife. “Look,” He murmurs through a chuckle. He taps the wood. Hanzo groans and snatches the knife from him, glaring.

  “Are you a child?” He asks, visibly frustrated and annoyed. 

  Jesse laughs, nudging him. “Hey, I’m gonna be dead in a few days. I gotta live it up!” He exclaims, grinning. Hanzo sighs quietly, shaking his head. 

  Hanzo couldn’t really disagree, could he?

 

***

 

  It gets dark earlier than Hanzo expected, so they pull off the road and set up camp before it gets pitch black. Hanzo gets the fire made, and they sit down to relax. In the very last of the daylight, Hanzo starts marking up the map and studying it a bit. Jesse picks up the bottle of whiskey they’ve been nursing the duration of this trip and starts drinking.

  Right now, the last thing Jesse wanted to do was think. Because when he thought, all he could think of was what was waiting for him once they got to Los Angeles. On the outside, he was able to pull of being unafraid of what was about to happen, being snarky and being able to laugh...but on the inside he was terrified. He’s never been face to face with death before.

  Taking lives was something Jesse did without much of a second thought. He was starting to understand why everyone he’s held his gun to was so afraid, why they begged for their lives...why they cried. Jesse has never cried, not that he can remember. But when he thinks of stepping up to that noose, thinking of the feeling of rope around his neck, not knowing what’s waiting for him at the end of his life...it makes him want to cry.

  And so, he drinks. 

  He drinks, and he’s nearly done with the bottle when he starts singing to further distract himself, hat tipped over his eyes. He sways the bottle a bit, soft Spanish coming from his lips. Hanzo looks over when he hears it. He folds up the map, which he’d now been looking at by the firelight, setting it aside. He doesn’t say anything, sitting back and listening to Jesse sing. He hadn’t known he had such a nice voice. He didn’t know he knew Spanish, actually, so this is surprising. 

  Soon enough, though, his words slur together and he drops the bottle, bringing a hand up to cover his face. Hanzo sits up a bit straighter. “McCree?” Hanzo asks quietly, actually concerned when he starts to shake. 

  “It's no good, Hanzo,” He murmurs, voice strained.  “It's no fuckin’ good.” Hanzo moves a little closer, worried, because it sounds like Jesse might start crying. 

  “What do you mean?” He's pretty sure he knows what's wrong; with all that's happening, it's not hard to figure out. Jesse looks up, and he's got actual tears in his eyes. This is more surprising than anything to Hanzo. 

  “I don't- I'm not ready for-” Jesse can't bring himself to say. Instead, he quickly wipes his eyes dry and sits up. “Nothin’ is wrong. I just got- I got dirt in my eyes.” Hanzo doesn't look like he believes him when he frowns a little. 

  He crosses his arms. “I don't think so…” He murmurs, looking him over. He felt for the guy, just a little bit. It was a shitty situation- albeit one Jesse got himself into. Still…

  Jesse just stares at him for a moment before he puts his face in his hands, sniffling. “I'm such- a bitch for cryin’ like this,” He whispers, looking up again. “I know I fucked up, and that I gotta deal with it, but Hanzo…” He leans in close. ”I'll be damned if I'm not scared as hell of what's about to happen to me,” He finally admits, voice choked up. Hanzo's shoulders slump a little bit, and he closes his eyes, sighing. 

  “McCree…” He looks at him, then moves closer again. “I don't know what to tell you. But I have a job to do. I have a life to get back to. And I can't just…” He sighs, unable to find the words. “I can't do anything to stop this from happening.”

  Jesse goes a bit still, his shoulders slumping just a little. “Hanzo-” 

  “I can't,” He insists, holding up a hand. “I'm… sorry, McCree, I wish there was something I could do, but...” His voice kind of trails off. He'd never expected Jesse to behave like this. And he'd certainly never expected to see him  _ cry _ . Jesse just looks at him, sighing quietly. 

  “Yeah, I get it. Totally- totally understandable.” He looks down for a moment, running a finger through the dirt. He quickly changes the topic, no longer wanting to think about this. The first thing that comes to his mind is something he'd been wanting to ask for a little while anyways. Why not now, when he was drunk and overemotional? There was no better time. “Tell me somethin’,” He requests quietly, and Hanzo shifts a little. 

  “What?” He asks, and Jesse looks up, smiling.

  “You love me, don't you?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh my GOD Y'ALL I am so sorry. I have been so bad lately, I've totally neglected this. it's pretty much why each chapter is getting shorter and why it's taking so long to get a chapter out. I lose energy and wanna wrap it up asap, but I know that's bad. that's why this took so long tbh....
> 
> anyways, I'll try to make the next chapter longer, and I'll do my best to make sure y'all don't wait super long for another update


	7. Chapter 7

_ You love me, don't you?  _

  The question leaves Hanzo a bit tongue tied. What does he say? Does he lie? Does he tell the truth? He has no idea what to say, but his mouth speaks anyways. “I don't know what that has to do with anything we were talking about,” He says. Okay, fine, that works. 

  Jesse sighs, leaning close. “Hanzo, if you can't help me get away, help me understand this. Let's just say it's my dyin’ wish. I know you've been keepin’ this from me. But let me tell you…I feel it too,” He whispers. “I don't wanna think of what's gonna happen to me anymore. I want to think of this- I want to think of  _ you _ .”

  Hanzo’s face heats up, giving it a flushed pink color, even in the warm, dim light of the fire. He can't make eye contact with him. “I-” God, Jesse had backed him into a corner here. He takes a breath, closing his eyes. “Alright. Alright, Jesse. I do. I really do, and I- I hate myself for it. I have for years.” He finally admits it. After all this time denying it, he did it. He doesn't open his eyes, though, even when Jesse goes completely silent.

  He opens them, though, when he feels Jesse's lips on his. He can't react for a second or two, but Jesse doesn't move away, only closer, one of his hands sliding up to hold the back of Hanzo's neck, keeping him held there. Hanzo lets out a muffled grunt before he gives in and kisses Jesse back, moving his lips against his, his hands in his hair. He'd wanted this for too long, and despite hating the fact he felt this way he definitely wasn't going to let the opportunity slide. No way. Jesse's hat gets knocked to the ground, and right after, Jesse’s back hits the dirt as Hanzo pins him down. Jesse has no problem being handled like this- in fact, it kind of turned him on. 

  Hanzo's fingers wrap themselves around Jesse's wrists, keeping him pinned to the ground, even as he starts to arch up against him as things get hotter and heavier. Jesse inhales sharply when Hanzo moves his lips to Jesse's neck. “Han- Hanzo, I-” He bites his lip, his train of thought being cut off as one of Hanzo's hands unwraps from his wrist and moves down to cup him through his pants. “Oh, hell,” He whispers, eyes shut tight.

  “What do you want, McCree?” Hanzo asks quietly, looking up at Jesse. “Me?”

  Jesse looks back at him, his lip still between his teeth. After a moment, he huffs quietly. “Yeah. Get your damn pants off, Shimada.” 

 

***

 

  Jesse lights a cigarette, inhaling deeply as he rests his head against Hanzo's shoulder. “Didn't know you knew how to fuck,” He murmurs past the cigarette. Hanzo glares a bit and smacks Jesse's thigh. 

  “I may not have the extensive experience you do, but I am by no means a virgin,” He insists, frowning. Jesse laughs a little and takes the cigarette out of his mouth so he can kiss Hanzo's cheek. 

  “I know, I know,” He whispers. He lays his head back down, taking a drag. It was late at night, nearly morning, and the fire was slowly starting to go out. They'd spent a good amount of time getting dirt in places there shouldn't be dirt, and sure, Jesse's ass hurt, but it was  _ so  _ worth it. He feels calmer, now, than he did before. He wanted to think of Hanzo. He wanted to remember Hanzo, like this, for whatever amount of time he had left. He wanted to remember how Hanzo's skin felt against his, how he felt inside of him, the way he sighed and moaned his name… He closes his eyes, fighting fresh tears. He wanted this more than he could fathom. He wanted so many more years with Hanzo, yet he only had days. Hours, maybe. 

  Hanzo puts his arm around Jesse's shoulders, resting his head on top of his. “We have to get up in a few hours,” He murmurs. “We don't have much longer until the next town.”

  In Jesse's mind, that just meant he'd be dying sooner. “Alright,” He whispers, taking another drag and fighting off those feelings again. He decides to just…let being in Hanzo's arms calm him down.

  He wished he could be here forever.

 

***

 

  Three towns and two cities later, they've officially crossed into California. Los Angeles was just miles away now, and with each step forward, Jesse felt his chest tighten more and more. He couldn't believe this was happening. It would be happening soon. Soon, he'd be stepping up to that Goddamn noose. He's uncharacteristically quiet, Hanzo notices, when they see the sign that says Los Angeles is only fifty miles away. 

  He shifts a little bit, glancing over at Jesse, who is quietly smoking a cigarette, staring out over the scenery...or lack thereof, really. “McCree?” He tries getting his attention, his voice quiet. “Is everything okay?”

  Jesse laughs, almost in disbelief. “Hanzo, how the hell do you think everything is? We're gettin’ closer and closer to the place I'm gonna die at. I'm- it's not a good feelin’.” He wonders, for a moment, if expecting and waiting for your death was worse than it happening suddenly, when you're not expecting it. 

  Hanzo looks straight ahead, not saying anything for a second or two. “I see,” He says quietly, his heart twisting a bit. After all that's happened on this trip, after the things they've been doing recently, after everything… he doesn't want to let this happen to him. But he can't turn back now. He had a life to get back to. He had a job to do. “I'm sorry,” He offers quietly, and Jesse just sighs.

  “Yeah,” He mumbles, stamping out the cigarette and lighting another right away. They don't speak for hours, both caught up in their own thoughts. When they see the ‘Welcome to Los Angeles’ sign, Jesse inhales sharply, a fresh shot of cold fear going down his spine. Hanzo opts to say nothing, instead clearing his throat and shifting in his seat. He could practically feel the fear emanating off of Jesse. He was feeling worse and worse for him as the seconds ticked by. 

  “Try to relax,” Hanzo says quietly as they make their way through the city, towards the police station. Jesse gives him a dirty look. 

  “Relax? Hanzo, we're walkin’ right to my death, how the fuck do you expect me to calm down?” He demands, voice raised and angry. Hanzo sighs.

  “I don't know, but causing a fuss isn't going to fix anything. Nothing is going to fix this.” His voice trails off a bit, and by the tone of his voice and the look on his face, Jesse can tell that he's not feeling good about this. 

  “Hanzo, please…help me get out of this,” He pleads, voice quiet. “Don't take me to the station.” Hanzo doesn't look at him, his hands starting to shake. 

  “Stop. You know I can't,” He whispers in response, closing his eyes for a moment, gathering himself. “I can't lose the life I've built up. I've worked too hard and been through too much,” He explains quietly. “I just can't.”

  Jesse stares at him for a long moment before he just bows his head, running a hand through his hair. Of course. Of course. And there was no more point in running; He'd be caught in an instant, especially in a big city like this. He couldn't get away from this, not anymore. He couldn't run anymore, and there was no way out of this. He didn't doubt that Hanzo loved him. And he definitely didn't want to take advantage of that, even if he was an awful person. 

  He keeps his mouth shut the rest of the way to the police station, and he stays quiet as Hanzo grips his upper arm, leading him into the building. Hanzo's boss is genuinely surprised to see Jesse standing there, head down, in handcuffs. He gives Hanzo a big clap on the back, going on and on about how amazed and proud he is that Hanzo actually pulled this off. Hanzo doesn't really respond other than a quiet thank you and a bow of his head. Then, Hanzo lets Jesse go, for probably the last time. Jesse feels such a burning need to feel Hanzo's hand on him again, it hurts. He starts to panic, and he turns to look at him as he's led away by another officer. “Hanzo,” He tries one last time, the panic clear in his eyes as Hanzo makes eye contact with him. “Please, Hanzo,” He pleads, struggling against the other officers grip. Hanzo slowly shakes his head, not doing anything to stop the officer from leading him away. 

  Heartbroken and scared out of his fucking mind, Jesse can't do anything but follow the officer to the holding cell he'd be in until the next day, when he'd be hung at noon. Neither of them sleep that night. Hanzo because he's too wracked with guilt and yearning, and Jesse because he doesn't want to waste a single moment of the last moments of his life, even if it meant being exhausted. He'd be asleep forever in just a little while anyways.

  Soon enough, the next day rolls around. A sea of citizens surrounds the wooden platform with a noose hanging above it, all eagerly waiting to see that bastard Jesse McCree get what's coming to him. Many around the country had been waiting for this moment for a long, long time. Jesse stares at it as he's led towards it. His heart was heavy, his mind racing, his whole body shaky and cold with fear. What was waiting for him on the other side? What would happen when it was all over? 

  Would Hanzo be in that sea of people? 

  Time seems to slow down with each step he takes towards the platform. He's tuned out all the angry shouts and vulgarity being shouted at him from everyone in the crowd. Instead, he brings his thoughts to Hanzo. The last few days he spent with him, the times they made love, getting drunk together, sharing cigarettes, smiling, laughing, confessing their love and just enjoying each other. 

  Step. 

  He remembers his face.

  Step.

  He remembers his smile.

  Step. 

  He remembers the color of his eyes. 

  Step. 

  He remembers the way he spoke. 

  Step. 

  He remembers the way he felt. 

  Step…he's completely up the stairs, now. 

_ This is it _ , He thinks as he walks towards the noose.  _ This is really it _ .  _ It's all over, and nothing is going to change this.  _ He closes his eyes, his whole body trembling. He inhales sharply when he feels the rope around his neck. He wants to cry, but he won't. Not in front of all these people. God, they'd hate him even more, he's sure of it. Everything is so fine tuned now. He can hear every little noise, feel every little thing. He hears the handle being gripped, and he expects to be hanging, he expects to be dead.

  But what he doesn't expect is the shot of a gun, and the thud of a body behind him. The crowd quickly disperses, many screaming and shouting in alarm. He quickly opens his eyes to see Hanzo standing there where the crowd used to be, arm raised, gun in his hand. The officer who led Jesse up the steps quickly pulls his gun, firing it at Hanzo, who starts running towards the platform. He avoids every shot- was he just good at avoiding these things, or was the officer just a really bad shot? -and he fires one last bullet, making the officer drop to the floor. 

  “Hanzo, what-?” Jesse tries to speak as Hanzo throws the noose off of Jesse, dragging him down the steps again. 

  “Shut up!” He shouts, starting to run. Jesse frantically follows after him, bewildered. 

  “Why did you do that?” He asks as he runs after him, his head swimming with emotions. God, what was happening? 

  “I'm not going to let you die,” He says over his shoulder, leading him around the back of the station to where he had a couple horses waiting. “I can't.” He stops, grabs Jesse's wrists, and quickly cuts the rope that was wrapped around them. “Get on, quick,” He orders, getting on top of one of the horses. No other officers had noticed what's going on yet, and Hanzo is so relieved. This would be so much easier. 

  Jesse doesn't hesitate, and once Hanzo gets his horse running, he's quick to follow. They run through the city, avoiding anywhere police might be. Hanzo feels like he's throwing everything away, because he is. He's giving up his home, his job, his family, his  _ life _ . But he knows it's worth it. He's loved this man for over a decade, and he wasn't going to let this happen.

  They make it out of the city with little to no problem, but they don't stop. The don't stop until they're well away from the city limits, where they're sure they weren't followed or anything. Soon enough, they slow down enough to talk. “Hanzo, you-” 

  “Stop it, Jesse,” Hanzo says quietly, resigned. “I did this…because I want to spend my life with you, no matter how long or short that may be. I'm willing to- to be on the run with you forever if I have to be.” He looks at him, and Jesse looks right back at him, his heart swelling. “I love you, Jesse.” 

  God, it was so good to hear those words. Not knowing what else to say, Jesse just laughs a little, swallowing past a lump in his throat. “I love you too, Hanzo,” He whispers. 

  Both were prepared to leave everything behind for each other, that flicker of romance between them just a few days ago having turned into a bright, blazing flame. 

  Now, it was just them, the road, and never turning back. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey its me, the Ugly™  
> I am so sorry this is probably definitely not what y'all were expecting or wanted or anything, but I figured some ending was better than never finishing it at all.  
> im sorry this was so :/// bad  
> anyways, thanks for sticking around, if you did. your support means a lot to me.  
> till next time!


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